Let's pretend today is Nov. 15th...

Robbie is 8 months old today!  (Ok, so really he is 8 1/2 months old... and I couldn't feel worse about taking these pictures late.)  This month has completely gotten away from me!  It has been so much fun, and we really have to work to keep up with Robbie and all of his new antics.  

He is still the best eater I know and there's not much he hasn't tasted and liked, except for the pediatrician-restricted foods like berries, eggs, real milk, nuts, etc.  He holds his own bottle much of the time too.

He is now a strong sitter, taking all of his baths upright and playing with dad for long stretches of the evening on the floor with blocks and his activity cube.  He tries very hard to crawl, but often ends up scooting himself backwards.  It's hard to get those arms to pull you forward!  His favorite game is peek-a-boo, and we can usually get belly laughs out of him with it.

His real love, though, is walking.  If you have spent any amount of time around him in the last few weeks, you have experienced his frustration firsthand at not being able to RUN!  He loves when we take his hands and walk around the house - sometimes he marches out of excitement.  And if you try to pick him up and set him on your lap before he's done, he arches his back and tries to squirm back to the floor to stand up.  It's really the only time we experience defiance with him, so it cracks us up.  

Probably the most notable thing about sweet Robbie right now is how cheerful and happy he is all the time.  He never refuses us a smile, and we can even get him to laugh if he is crying (most of the time).  He's developed this new cheesy smile that often comes with sniffing and angled eyebrows (see below) - we have no idea where it came from, but we love it.

He is experimenting with the new sounds his mouth can make, and the feel of his 2 new bottom teeth.  My dad is convinced that he tried to say 'football' one day, mimicking him.  I have to say it was close... he is good at the 'F' sound!  He understands some of our everyday words as well, among them "bottle" or "ba-ba" (elicits a knowing look and then a cry if he's hungry), "dog" or "woof" (when we're at my parents' house he starts looking for the dog), and "all done".  He's starting to try to sign for 'all done' as well, by shaking his hands in the air when I do the sign for 'all done' at the end of his meals.

I am thankful that he is still my little snuggler.  When I pick him up in the morning from his crib, he always pats my arm as I carry him out of his bedroom.  I usually take one of his naps with him during the day (I need a lot of sleep!), and he likes to fall asleep with our faces touching.  I know he will probably grow out of this, but for now it is just so sweet.

We don't have any stats from the doctor for this month since he doesn't go back until his 9 month check up - but Rob unofficially weighed him the other day and he was around 22 lbs.

Hippy is getting smaller by the day!

Looking out the window at our front yard covered in snow for the first time.

Such a big boy.

Cheesy smile, which shows off his new chompers!

We love you Robbie